Christopher Dawson

Chris Dawson is Head of Department for Bonhams Modern British & Irish Art in London. He also supports the Scottish Art auctions in Edinburgh.

Since joining Bonhams in 2007, Chris has played a major role in the dramatic growth of the department and, with his deep knowledge, is a trusted advisor to many prominent collectors in the market. He has handled some of the most significant private collections sold at auction in the field, such as that of C.S. Reddihough, Elizabeth Creak and Benedict Read. Recent career highlights include overseeing several new auction records, including for a work by a Bloomsbury artist with Roger Fry's Portrait of E.M. Forster (£325,000), Christopher Wood's Drying Sails, Mousehole, Cornwall (£479,100) and a painting by Dame Barbara Hepworth with Stringed Figure (£516,900).

In 2021, Chris conceived and led the themed, cross-disciplinary auction Blazing a Trail: Modern British Women, the first sale at Bonhams dedicated to women artists. This sale highlighted and set several new auction records for lesser-known names alongside significant prices for established artists - such as Dame Laura Knight's Sennen Cove, Cornwall, sold for £500,250.

Before Bonhams, Chris worked for Sotheby's and Christie's, where he was latterly based in the European Valuations department. Outside of the auction world, he has facilitated the loan of major works to important exhibitions, such as David Hockney at Tate. Chris holds a Bachelor's degree with honors in History and a Master's degree in History of Art.

Chris travels throughout the UK and internationally for business.